Following Jesus requires giving up things or activities that give us leisure. It even requires spending more of our time doing His work and loving and caring for our neighbors.

As adults, we often strive to find balance between work and leisure, including play and rest. But in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us the difficult truth of following Him:

“A scribe approached and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.’” — Matthew 8:19-20

Following Jesus requires giving up things or activities that give us leisure.

It even requires spending more of our time doing His work and loving and caring for our neighbors.

It requires us to stretch ourselves and go outside of our comfort zones.

Still, let us not be afraid to follow Him and do His work. He is the One who will give us rest that is meaningful. And we will discover how fruitful, meaningful, and even easy His yoke is:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” — Matthew 11:28-30